Closure device



June 17,1947. 5; J'UDD j 2,422 42o cLostmE' DEVICE Original Filed Nov.22, 1945 Camus/i Jim!) IF Patented June 17, 1947' UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE CLOSURE DEVICE v Charles H. Judd. Cleveland, Ohio, assignor ,toTinnerman Products, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio, a

corporation or Ohio 1 Claim.

This application is a division of my copending application Serial No.511,223, filed November 22, 1943, which became Patent No. 2,402,556 onJune 25, 1946, for a Closure device.

This invention relates to a closure device adapted to be .very quicklyapplied to a structure from the exterior thereof to close an openingtherein. More particularly, the invention provides a closure plate forthe exterior of the opening, a bridge plate adapted to extend across theopening at the interior and carrying a nut, and a threaded bolt passingthrough the outer plate and threaded into the nut carried by the bridgeplate so that when the parts are in place and the bolt is tightened theouter plate is clamped snugly. across the opening. A feature of mydevice is that the bridge member is so formed that it may be readilypassed through an opening in the structure and thereafter shifted tobridge the opening, and be seated tightly against the interior.

An object of the invention is to provide such a closuredevice in a formwhich may make a substantially flush closure for the opening. Such aflush closure means is especially important in closing external openingsin airplanes (either those formed accidentally or those madeintentionally to allow access to the interior)" and in such cases it isvery important that the amount oi. external projection to be reduced tothe minimum to enable a substantially flush external surface.

Another object of my invention is to provide very ready means forpreventing the nut member of the combination from rotating as the boltis turned into place.

My invention is illustrated in the drawings hereof, in which Fig. 1 is aside elevation of the closure device; Fig. 2 is a cross section thereofin a plane and at a right angle to Fig. l, as indicated by the line 2-2on Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the device in on -of theintermediate positions it may have during insertion; Fig. 4 is a plan ofthe device showing in broken lines the relative position which thebridge plate may assume as the bolt is tightened; Fig. 5 is a sectionalelevation of the device in tightened position on a structural plate.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, the closure device comprises broadlya closure plate l0, 2. bridge plate 20, and a clamping bolt 30 threadedinto the bridge plate.

The closure plate I is preferably a circular disc, slightly dished sothat its peripheral edge only may contact with the surface of structurethat is to be applied. This closure plate is formed with afrusto-conical inward extension H, the central opening iii of which isof the proper size for the'free passage of the boltshank. This closureplate is providedwith a tongue which is cut from the body of the plate,and from material beyond the finished periphery of the plate, by aradial notch IT, and then turned upwardlyat approximately right. angleto the general plane of the closure plate. 2

The bridge plate is a parallel-sided member; that is, it is ofapproximately substantially rectangular form. This bridge plate isprovided with a pair of tongues 22 partially severed from the body ofthe plate by parallel slits 23 and a. transverse central opening 24, thetongues being then bent up at oblique angles. The tongues are notched attheir ends and are warped in op.- posite directions so that their endsdefine a helical turn for the bolt. Preferably, the corners of thebridge plate 20 are bent down, as shown at 25, to provide anchorageprongs to engage the structure against which the parts are clamped.

The bolt is formed with conical Lead 3| adapted to "seat in thecountersunk recess I! of the closure plate and a shank 32 which carriesa parallel thread. The inner end of the bolt shank is somewhat upset asshown at 33 to prevent separation of the parts when not in use. The 30conical head is preferably provided with a screw driver slot. a

' Before application, the fastener plate and bridge plate. are separateda suitable distance on the shank to allow the bridge plate to be readilypassed through an opening in the structure. Fig.

3 shows, for instance, a structural plate A hav-. ing an opening a andshows the bridge plate being passed through such opening. The width ofthe bridge plate is slightly less than the diameter 40 of the opening,and by tipping the device, as indlcated in Fig. 3, the major'portion ofthe. bridge plate may be passed diagonally through the opening and thenby swinging the device in a clockwise direction and shiftingdt towardthe left in Fig. 3, the whole of the bridge plate may be passed throughthe opening. Then by shifting the device toward the right the roundedend 2| of the bridge plate will come beyond the right hand portion ofthe opening.

- When the parts are positioned the tightening of the bolt brings thefrusto-conical portion of the closure plate into the opening and causesthe peripheral edge of such plate to engage the outer face of thestructural member A. As the bolt is 66 turned in the corner prongs 25become embedded in the structure, and the tongue it-engaging the side ofthe bridge plate prevents further turning of the closure plate; thenasthe clamping becomes tight, the tongues 23 are gradually sprunginwardlyv togobtaiii a. very firm "strut action against the bolt. At thesame time the dished rearward side of the panel, and a bolt extendingouter disc may be somewhat flattened. Thus when the parts are in theirfinal position, the closure plate extends only slightly beyond thesurface of the supporting plate A and leaves a substantially flushexterior.

The closure device of this invention is well adapted, for instance, forpatching openings made in airplane walls, as, for instance, by passageof a bullet. To effect the repair it is only necessary to ream out theopening suificiently for the passage of the bridge plate and insert thedevice and tighten it.

\ A cover plate device adapted to be secured over an opening in apanel'by application entirely from one side of the panel and insubstantially flush relation, with said panel, comprising, a cover platein the form of a sheet metal disc adapted to be'positioned over saidpanel openplate having a bolt passage and a countersink surrounding saidbolt passage, an integral pro- Jection comprising a strip having 'aportion formed by radially slitting the periphery of the cover plate andbending it inwardly to project generally normal to the undersurfaee ofsaid cover plate at a point spaced inwardly from the peripheral edgethereof, a sheet metal bridge plate having a bolt receiving opening andinthen to through said bolt passage in the cover plate having' a headreceivable in the countersink therein in substantially flush relationwith the cover plate, said bolt having a threaded connection with saidintegral thread engaging tongues on the bridge plate, and saidprojection on the cover plate being engageable with the bridge Plate toprevent relative turning movement of the bridge plate when the bolt isrotated to tighten said cover plate and bridge plate in clampingrelation with opposite sides of the panel adjacent said panel opening,said resilient thread engaging tongues on the bridge" plate providing anautotegral thread means comprising resilient thread engaging tonguesstamped from the material of said bridge plate adjacent said boltreceiving opening, said bridge plate being adapted topass matic threadlocking action on the bolt in tightened position to prevent looseningthereof as a result of vibratory motion or the like.

'. CHARLES H. JUDD.

REFERENCES CITED Theffollowing references are of record in the 1 file ofthis patent: 1 26 ing atthe forward side of the panel, said cover UNITEDSTATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,335,906 Blinn Dec. 7, 1943 "943,338Carter et-al. Dec. 14, 1909 1,216,771 Booth Feb. 20, 1917 Re. 16,858Klein et al Jan. 24, 1928 2,198,439 Kost Apr. 23, 1940 2,293,399 Moeckeret a1. Aug. 18, 1942 261,947 Murphy Aug. 1, 1882 2,149,359 Olson Mar. 7,1939 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date Great Britain Sept. 1, 1893

